The Definition of Disbelief Linguistically and Legally, and a Discussion of the People of the Interval

The Shaykh : As you know, the root of kufr (disbelief) is from the word for covering. Therefore, farmers are called kafirs (disbelievers) meaning the farmers. Since the farmer covers the seed with the furrow and the soil, so too the disbeliever covers the truth with his falsehood. Whoever is of this description is the one who disbelieves and will be eternally in the Fire. As for the one to whom the call did not come and the proof did not become clear to him, and he remained in his disbelief and his misguidance, this is considered by the scholars of the Muslims to be among the people of the interval (ahl al-fatra). Therefore, the people of the interval are not judged as being in Islam nor in disbelief; they have a special treatment with Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). We suffice with this indication regarding these people. The important point is that Allah has a sufficient proof against the people. It is not permissible to rush to declare someone a disbeliever if something appears from him that leads us to be convinced that he has disbelieved in "There is no god but Allah." It is necessary to establish the proof against him. If he rejects it, he is included among the disbelievers; and if he submits to it, he remains among the Muslims. On this basis, we present this rule for the general Muslim population, whether they belong to the Sunnah, to the Shi'ah, or to any other sect. Before anything else, it is necessary that he explicitly denies what is established in the Shari'ah with certainty.